Nobody likes to be wrong. Nobody enjoys looking or feeling stupid. It is part of the reason we fear trying new things. If you’ve never worked out before, stepping foot into a gym can be enough of a challenge. If you’ve been around the block a few times, asking somebody for help with your form or a spot can be intimidating as well.
Take a little comfort in this: even if you feel like you look silly or goofy or like you don’t know what to do, nobody really cares. At the end of the day, people are there to get their workout in and head home. They aren’t there to judge somebody who’s trying their best.
Still, though, getting better requires teamwork. You aren’t going to get better without some help from someone or something. You aren’t going to just pick up a kettlebell and know how to do perfect swings based on your instinct.
Once you realize you need some help, finding it is another issue. Who do you ask? Is it that guy next to you benching 300 pounds? Is it a YouTube video? Is it a trainer? It’s probably a combination of those and more. As you grow in your fitness journey, you’ll find new resources and ways to learn. Here are a few to start out with.
Try Personal Training
Picture this: you just got off of work and you made it to the gym. It’s a big step. You haven’t been in a while. But it’s packed. There are people everywhere. The class is completely booked and you can already smell somebody sweaty.
That’s stressful. It’ll probably discourage you. Instead, why not try a personal training session? This is especially beneficial if you’re new to working out entirely. The importance of good form cannot be overstated. It’ll help you improve faster and avoid injuries down the road.
On top of that, a personal trainer will be able to tailor a workout specifically to your needs. They’ll motivate you individually through the workout and give your pointers when you need them. Once you’ve done a few workouts with them, you’ll have a personal relationship with them and they’ll better understand your needs and how to motivate you effectively.
Ask Your Coaches
If you feel like personal training isn’t for you, feel free to ask your FNS Coaches what to do. They’re incredibly knowledgeable and their main goal is your success. With any question you may have, an FNS Coach will do their best to give you an answer.
Ask a Fellow Athlete
If you can’t flag down your FNS Coach during class, ask someone around you. We’re a community here at FNS. We look out for each other; there is no judgment. Maybe they don’t have an answer for you, but if you both ask your FNS Coach, they’ll know the directions were unclear and they’ll be able to help others, too. Who knows, you may even gain a friend out of it!
Invest in Fitness Technology
It may seem expensive if you view it as something unnecessary, but today’s fitness tracking technology is powerful. It can give you valuable information about your health, like your heart rate, sleep quality, and calorie burning. Some of the newer, more expensive options even have electrocardiograms and blood oxygen monitors built right in.
All that information may be a bit overwhelming at first. If you take the time to research what it means (either online or by asking an FNS Coach), you’ll gain valuable insight on how your body performs and what areas you can improve on.
In addition, they’re plain cool. Who doesn’t like to look cool? Looking and feeling good directly relates to your confidence. Before you know it, you’ll be the coolest person in the gym.
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